“She Could Perfectly Pick Me Up Like Nothing”: As a 12-Year-Old Girl Performs Barbell Back Squat Despite the Risks Involved, Bodybuilding World Loses Their Minds Over Her Prowess

Coach Ciro Ibañez is a legendary weightlifting champion of the 1980s. However, politics came in between Ibañez and Olympic gold medal as the Cuban Government boycotted the Summer Olympics in 1984. Nonetheless, the iconic sportsman won many championships in Cuba and other countries. Furthermore, he studied physical education, specializing in “explosive force” weightlifting. Eventually, he transitioned into a very successful coaching career leading Vencelas Dabaya to snatch 4th place in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. 

Recently, the coach posted a mindboggling weightlifting performance of his daughter that shocked the internet. Earlier, taking to Instagram, the weightlifting champion showed his daughter, Emily Ibanez Guerrero, lift jaw-dropping numbers- a whopping 319 lbs. Ciro and his wife hope to see their son and daughter perform in the Olympics. It looks like the dream is closer to reality.

Emily Ibanez Guerrero is a force to reckon with

Emily is a child strength athlete prodigy, making waves in the bodybuilding community. She won three medals at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Youth Championships in 2023. Furthermore, her proud father posted an Instagram snippet of the 12-year-old athlete performing the shocking exercise. He wrote on the post, ” 12 years old 145 kilos back squat.” Such a feat comes easily to Emily as she is trained by her father, Ciro, and mother, Abigail Guerrero. The family now resides in Canada and runs ‘Beyond Lifting Club’ in Montreal. 

Recently, a ten-year-old, Rory Van Ulft, showcased similar athleticism and brute force by lifting twice her body weight. Ulft also showcased her performance on Instagram. She captioned the specification, “This 72-kg (158-lb) lift at #usaweightlifting National Championships Week was over 212% body weight & just 1 kg below the heaviest …. Age: 10 years, 140 days. Body weight: 33.95 kg.” It is heartwarming to witness young girls emerge as winners in weightlifting, previously considered a male domain. Furthermore, internet users and bodybuilding fans appreciated Emily Ibanez’s record-breaking performance. The fearless girl is pursuing her goals, despite the risks of injury. 

The young girl wins praise for her efforts

Impressed by the young person’s attitude, one subscriber exclaimed, “How is that possible?” Another user appreciated Emily’s stance. They wrote, ” Excellent job young lady!!” Similarly, a subscriber said, “She could perfectly pick me up like nothing.”

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Some netizens also showed respect to Emily’s father for being a hard taskmaster. One fan added, ” Very good for the athlete and coach who carries her.” Another user bowed down to the budding athlete’s hard work. They wrote, “I love her strength and dedication!! Her concentration… no doubt it’s a great motivation.” These empowering words will work wonders for the power lifter’s confidence. Moreover, social media is doing a great service by highlighting such phenomenal performances of young girls. 

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